Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Sixties pop icon Davy Jones has died from a heart-attack. He was sixty six. The circumstances surrounding the former Monkees' frontman's death are currently unclear but a spokesman for the singer and actor confirmed to the TMZ website that he had died this morning. An official from the medical examiner's office in Florida also confirmed to the website they had received a call from the Martin Memorial Hospital informing them Jones had died. Davy was born in Openshaw in Manchester on 30 December 1945. At the age of eleven he began his acting career in local theatre, making his screen début at thirteen in a BBC Sunday night drama called June Evening (1960). He went on to win a coveted role in Coronation Street playing Ena Sharples's teenage grandson, Colin Lomax, and also appeared three times in the legendary BBC police series Z-Cars during this period. However, after the death of his mother from emphysema when he was fourteen, he left acting and began training as a jockey with Basil Foster's stables in Newmarket. Events soon conspired to bring Davy back to the stage, however, when Foster was reportedly approached by a friend of his who worked in a theatre in the West End during casting for the second London production of Oliver! Jones appeared to great acclaim in the Lionel Bart musical as The Artful Dodger - replacing Tony Robinson in the role, fact fans! After playing the part in London, Davy accompanied the show to Broadway and he was nominated for a Tony Award. On 9 February 1964, he appeared along with the Broadway cast of Oliver! on The Ed Sullivan Show - singing 'I'd Do Anything' with Georgia Brown - the same episode on which The Beatles made their first appearance in America. Davy said of that night: 'I watched The Beatles from the side of the stage, I saw the girls going crazy and I said to myself, "this is it, I want a piece of that."' Following his Ed Sullivan appearance, Ward Sylvester of Screen Gems (then the television division of Columbia Pictures) signed Davy to a long-term contract. American television appearances followed, as Davy received screen time in episodes of Ben Casey and The Farmer's Daughter. He also recorded three singles and an LP for Colpix Records. From late 1965 to 1971, Davy was a member of The Monkees, the pop group formed expressly for the television show of the same name. With Screen Gems producing the series, Davy was shortlisted for auditions, as he was the only Monkee who was already signed to a deal with the studio, but he still had to meet producers Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider's standards (part of his audition tape can be seen at the end of the first The Monkees episode, Royal Flush). As a Monkee, Davy sang lead vocals on many of the group's best known songs, including 'I'm A Believer', 'I Wanna Be Free', 'Valleri' and 'Daydream Believer.' He also received a second footnote in pop history as his success when The Monkees became in transatlantic hit in late 1966 forced another David Jones, a Mod singer/songwriter from Bromley, to change his surname to Bowie to avoid confusion. Along with his bandmates, Mickey Dolenz, Peter Tork and Mike Nesmith, Davy was the cute one in the Pre-Fab Four who made some of the most catchy and memorable records of the era - 'Pleasant Valley Sunday', 'Last Train To Clarksville', '(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone', 'Take A Giant Step' et al - and, once they had wrestled control of their music from Screen Gems supremo Don Kirshner, two of the best LPs of the period made by anyone, Headquarters and Pisces, Aquarius, Capricon, Jones Ltd (both 1967). After The Monkees TV series was cancelled following its second season in 1968 (fifty eight episodes), the group continued for a further three years, making the fantastically weird movie Head, co-written by Jack Nicholson, directed by Rafelson and with a cast that included Teri Garr, Frank Zappa (in a scene with a talking cow!), Dennis Hopper (in a blink-and-you'll-miss-him cameo) and Victor Mature. (It's one of yer actual Keith Telly Topping's favourite movies and has acquired a genuine cult following. It also produced a great soundtrack LP including possibly the two best Monkees performances, 'The Porpoise Song' and 'As We Go Along'.) They also did one more TV special, Thirty-Three & A Third Revolutions Per Monkee (1969). Tork left later that year and Nesmith in early 1970. Jones and Dolenz finally called it a day in 1971. Davy continued to perform solo, while later joining with Dolenz and songwriters Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart (who'd written many of The Monkees early songs) as a short-lived group called Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart. He also toured throughout the years with other members of the group as various incarnations of The Monkees, notably a full-scale revival (the only one that Mike Nesmith has been involved in) and new TV special in 1996. This blogger saw them on that particular tour (and also Davy, Dolenz and Tork on another tour a few years previously, both in Newcastle) and always found them to be a thoroughly entertaining night out. Hearing them do lesser known, but brilliant, songs like 'Star Collector' and 'Circle Sky' was a particular joy of yer average Monkees live show. In February 2011, Davy mentioned rumours of another Monkees reunion. 'There's even talk of putting The Monkees back together again in the next year or so for a US and UK tour,' he told Disney's Backstage Pass newsletter. 'You're always hearing all those great songs on the radio, in commercials, movies, almost everywhere.' The tour came to fruition entitled, An Evening With The Monkees: The Forty Fifth Anniversary Tour.' Davy is survived by his third wife, Jessica, and four daughters - Talia, Jessica, Sarah and Annabel - from his previous marriages to Linda Haines and Anita Pollinger.

Ah, bless you, Davy. 2011-12 has been a really rotten year and a bit for icons from yer actual Keith Telly Topping's formative years. So, there's only one thing to do about that. Sing! Yer actual Keith Telly Topping is going to be playing this one most of tonight in tribute. Thanks Davy, for a childhood that was far more enjoyable than I often let on.

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A Necessary Disclaimer

This blog contains occasional outbursts of adult language (about what a right shite state of affairs occur in the world today, mostly) and some (very minor) adult themes every now and then. So, if you're not seventeen years old yet, dear blog reader, then please do yer actual Keith Telly Topping a favour. Naff off and come back when you're a bit older. Thanks muchly.

Disclaimer (A Slight Return)

All of the opinions expressed within this blog - unless specifically indicated otherwise - are Keith Telly Topping's own. They should not, in any way, be thought of as reflecting (either collectively or individually) the views of any of the various media organisations, broadcasters, publishing companies or periodicals for which he has freelanced in the past, or may be employed by in the future. Or, indeed, anyone else other than yer actual Keith Telly Topping his very self.

My opinions, my political and spiritual beliefs, the choice of which TV shows I like and dislike, which newspapers and books I chose to read and, indeed, which football team I have the misfortune to support are my own and expression of them is my right within a free and democratic society. (Which, for all of Britain's faults in other areas in 2016, it just about still is.) If you disagree with any of the opinions expressed here, then please feel free to start your own blog and say whatever is on your mind to your own dear blog readers. That is, after all, what blogs are for.

This blogger encourages everyone to use those freedoms - which many brave men and women have struggled, suffered and died to attain and then maintain over the years - to express your opinions upon whatever subjects you desire and whenever you see fit in a public forum. Within - of course - the boundaries of the law as it currently stands.

Please remember there are, sadly, many parts of the world where citizens do not have similar liberties and who would probably love the opportunity to enjoy some of the freedoms that we in the West, all too often it would seem, take for granted.

Or, To Put It Another Way ...

This PARTICULARLY applies to the contents of this blog.

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Copyright - An Important Notice

During 2015, this blogger received three separate "take-down" notices from blogger.com regarding individual pages of From The North relating to - alleged - copyright material posted on this blog. All of which were compiled with despite an extremely unhelpful attitude from those making the requests in telling Keith Telly Topping exactly *what* they - or, specifically, a third party - wished him to remove from the page(s) in question. Therefore, please note, From The North is a non-profit making blog compiled by Keith Telly Topping in his spare time. Almost all of the images used on this blog to illustrate a particular story come via Google Images. No attempt is made to infringe on anyones copyright - and the same goes to any links provided to You Tube. I am perfectly happy to remove any links or images from any particular page which are copyrighted (within reason, of course), but it would greatly help if I knew which one (or ones) are at issue. If you are a copyright holder and you believe that something has been posted on From The North which shouldn't be, please contact this blogger directly via the comments section.

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Who He Is & How He Came To Be

A full-time survivor, dandy highwayman, bon vivant, self-unemployed author, journalist and broadcaster Keith Telly Topping's bibliography includes over forty books on mainly pop culture subjects. He was the co-editor of two editions of The Guinness Book of Classic British TV and has written or co-written volumes on television series as diverse as The X-Files, Star Trek, The Avengers, 24, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Angel, Charmed, The Sweeney and Stargate SG-1 as well as music, film and literary critique. He authored four Doctor Who novels (including the award-winning The Hollow Men, with Martin Day) and a novella. His work includes two editions of the acclaimed The West Wing programme guide Inside Bartlet’s White House, A Vault Of Horror: A Book Of Eighty Great (and not-so-great) British Horror Movies, Do You Want To Know A Secret?: A Fab Anthology of Beatles Facts and Doctor Who: The Discontinuity Guide. He was a regular contributor to numerous TV and genre magazines and was a former Contributing Editor to DreamWatch. He is widely considered to be one of Britain's foremost experts on the bewildering complexities of US network television. No, he hasn't the faintest idea why either.

Notoriously suave, articulate and a right wow with the ladies (allegedly), Keith Telly Topping was born in Newcastle Upon Tyne on the very day that his beloved (though even then unsellable) United lost 3-2 at home to Northampton Town. Things haven't improved much since. He was the presenter of the monthly The Book Club (2006-08) and the daily Keith Telly Topping & His Top TV Tips preview slot on BBC Newcastle (2005-2012). He contributed to the BBC television series I ♥ the 70s, Call The Cops and The Perfect Detective and has also written for Sounds, the Daily Telegraph, The Sunday Times Culture Supplement, Radio Times, TV Zone, The Doctor Who Magazine and many other publications and periodicals.

Keith Telly Topping writes, and occasionally performs stand-up, and has written radio comedy, co-wrote the stage musical Monopolise! (performed at the 2011 Edinburgh Comedy Festival with Alfie Joey and Mark Deeks) and two TV pilots both of which are, currently, stuck in 'Development Hell.' A failed pop star at the age of fourteen as bass guitarist in (the never-legendary) Slime, Keith Telly Topping lives, works and occasionally sleeps on Tyneside. His interests include foreign travel, listening to bowel-shatteringly loud pop music, socialising with friends, eating in nice Chinese restaurants, watching football and cricket, reading, tacky British horror movies of the 1960s and 70s, military, political and social history and lots of other malarkey and shenanigans too numerous to list.

Keith Telly Topping still dines out on the tale of how he and three friends once - accidentally - stalked George Harrison down the entire length of Oxford Street. True story.

yer actual keith telly topping

THIS Is What You're Up Against

Nobody's Perfect

咖喱米飯和晶片

The Internet Is Responsible For All Of The EVIL In The World. Apparently

Has Anyone Else Noticed That The World Appears To Have Gone To Shit Since David Bowie Died?

The two things are, surely, connected?

Still, Life Has Its Upside

Sometimes. But, only if you think hard enough about it.

Docotr Who Fandom Explained

Available Again - Something This Blogger Has Written Which He's Actually Quite Proud Of

Keith Topping & Martin Day's award-winning 1998 Doctor Who novel The Hollow Men has been reissued by Random House as a kindle download. It can be yours, dear blog reader, for just three English pounds and thirty two pence from Amazon.

Available Again - Something Else This Blogger Co-Wrote Which He's Actually Extremely Proud Of

Paul Cornell, Martin Day and Keith Topping's award-winning Doctor Who: The Discontinuity Guide is now available in a kindle edition

Other Links

Keith Telly Topping's World Cup Trivia Page

http://worldcuptrivia.blogspot.com/

Monopolise!

The Telly Topping Family Crest

Motto: Veniat Ad Me, Si Putas Te Firmiores Irascibilem

Comments

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mission statement - part I

From The North is actively committed to working for a brighter future for Great Britain through the promotion of junk culture telly and loud pop music among young people.

mission statement - part II

This is, of course, an equal-opportunities blog. We treat them ALL with the same level of complete and utter contempt that they so richly deserve. As Billy Connolly once said, 'don't vote for them, it only encourages them.'

mission statement - part III

It's a truism but, in life, one tends never to fully appreciate the good things that one has until they are gone. Just a thought

appreciate what you've got while you've got it

The BBC is, of course, a British institution and national treasure. It is also - much more importantly - a World Class broadcaster with a global reputation for journalistic honesty, integrity, balance, innovation, creativity and quality. Ironically the only places in the world where it isn't highly regarded are in knobcheese fascist dictatorships like Iran and China and in its own backyard where scum politicians and lice newspapers with an agenda use it as their own personal punch-bag. This is WRONG. This blog supports the BBC and believes that it is high time the people of this country - to whom, after all, the BBC *belongs* - stand up for themselves and remind such crass, ignorant bullies that the BBC is better than all of them put together

reasons to be alive in 2017

No. 1: The third Peter Capaldi series of Doctor Who

can't find anything worth watching on TV tonight?

Then why not open your Complete West Wing DVD box-set and watch a couple of episodes in bed with a box of Maltesers®™ and a nice hot cup of milky cocoa? The world will, yer Keith Telly Topping respectfully suggests, look a whole hell of a lot better after a trip inside Bartlet's White House

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Militant Agnosticism Or Understandable Indecisiveness?

I would really appreciate it if any postings made by myself on this blog are not reposted elsewhere without my permission. Which will almost certainly be given but I'd like you to at least do me the courtesy of asking first. Thank you for your kind consideration in this regard.